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It has been said that a person will not reach their full potential unless coached. While this may or may not be entirely true, it does hit on a key benefit to coaching, especially for small and solo business owners.

Typically, a small business owner, particularly a solo practitioner, works in a vacuum. They rarely have someone to share ideas with, much less talk about their fears or concerns. Aside from the few who belong to a mastermind group, most have no objective help to expand their ideas or as a way to gain a different perceptive on their business.

Small business people who are not working with someone in the capacity of a coach are missing out on one of their greatest opportunities for growth. Those savvy people who do engage the services of a coach who specializes in working with small businesses have a distinctive advantage over their competition.

Choosing Your Coach
With some many people entering the field choosing your ideal coach can be a daunting task. The single most important characteristic, in my opinion, is that you and the coach have rapport first as people, then as client and coach. I don’t care how many certifications someone has, if you don’t feel good about working with them, it will never work.

Next, I would suggest that if it’s your business that you want help with you choose a coach who specializes in working with small businesses.

I was once hired to coach a high-level sales executive and when I asked why he chose me out of the several people he interviewed; his reply was “because you’re the only one who actually has had sales experience.”
Personally, I feel that a coach who has business experience will bring more value to the relationship then one who has not.

Conversely, I would not choose a business coach to help me with a fitness or a relationship challenge.
The field of personal coaching has evolved over the years from the “life” coaches who worked with a variety of clients, to more specialized ones who choose to work in a specific niche, typically chosen because of the coaches experience in that niche.

Over the years, coach training schools have focused their programs on niches and offer additional training, beyond the basics, in business, health, and relationship coaching.

A really top coach, however, will get involved in several areas of your business and life. If for example, all your time is spent at work and you’re neglecting your health and family relationships, your coach, hopefully, will work with you to bring that back into balance. There is little point in having a successful business if the rest of your life is falling apart.

It is my heart felt suggestion, based on a decade of coaching small business owners and two decades of being in my own business, that if you really want to reach your full potential, you need a coach who can help you step out of your comfort zone and grow your business or professional practice.

How coaching works
Typically, a coach works one-on-one with clients or in a small group setting. For the most part, coaching is conducted by telephone although some of us like in-person meetings when the situation lends itself and, with the advent of video conferencing services like Skype, it’s possible to combine the two.

Coaching relationships last an average of six months although many continue much longer. If the reason for the relationship is a specific task, like publishing a book for example, the relationship may only last until the project is completed.

What does it cost?
While coaching fees vary widely most coaches are open to creating a program that will fit the needs and budget of the client. If finances are what’s preventing someone from hiring a coach, exploring group programs may be the answer, however, the experience of group coaching, while valuable, is not the same as having your own coach. It’s less personal, your time is shared with others, and it lacks the confidentiality of individual sessions.

Group coaching programs are well suited if everyone in the group is working on a similar task or project. A group geared toward people starting their own business, for example, would be quite valuable since group members can share ideas and knowledge.

Whatever method best suits your present circumstances, hiring your own coach is one of the best investments you can make in the future success of your business and will go a long way toward your realizing your full potential.

Tags:business coach,business experience,life coaches,mastermind group,personal coaching,sales executive,sales experience,small business owner,solo practitioner